The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected the transit anticipatory bail applications of three trustees of Ryan International Group, but granted them interim protection from arrest till Friday to enable them file appeal.
Justice Ajey Gadkari also directed the applicants — group’s CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents Augustine Pinto, the founding chairman, and Grace Pinto, the group’s managing director — to submit their passports to the Mumbai Police Commissioner.
The Pintos had approached the High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail apprehending arrest in connection with the murder of a seven-year-old boy in the toilet of a school run by the group in Gurugram on September 8.
They had sought pre-arrest bail till they could move the court concerned in Haryana. “The applications... stand rejected. The interim relief granted to them shall continue till tomorrow 5 p.m.,” the judge said.
Barun Thakur, the father of the victim, had intervened in the matter, opposing the bail pleas.
Mr. Thakur’s lawyer Sushil Tekriwal voiced apprehension that the Pintos might try to flee or even tamper with evidence.
“The applicants are influential people in the (Ryan) group.... There are already allegations that the crime scene has been wiped clean. If they are granted bail they would tamper with evidence or try to influence witnesses,” he said.
“Let them approach the high court of Punjab and Haryana and seek anticipatory bail,” Tekriwal said.
‘Ready to co-operate’
Pintos’ counsel Niteen Pradhan said his clients have full sympathy for the victim’s family, and were ready to cooperate fully with the police.
“No doubt the incident of murder is disturbing. The applicants are only seeking protection from arrest so that they can approach the court concerned where (under whose jurisdiction) the offence is registered. The applicants are ready to cooperate with the probe,” Mr. Pradhan said.
